Film, Verify, Share

Olympics: "Cheer Beijing Workers" drafted in to fill empty seats

Become an Observer

US photoblogger Kevin German took
pictures of a gymnasium in Beijing
just before the start of a weightlifting contest. He noticed that most seats
were empty... until the arrival of professional supporters.

US photoblogger Kevin German went to Beijing to uncover the Olympics' backstage.

I attended my second Olympic event
today. Some friends were kind enough to give me a ticket for the men's
weightlifting prelims. I didn't stay too long but long enough to make an
overall photo showing the empty seats for the venue that was said to be sold
out.

And then to contrast that, I came upon the people that the government asked to
go fill those seats at live televised games. They are called Cheer Beijing
Workers. They wear funky yellow t-shirts and red caps. There were hundreds of
them walking to the Worker's Stadium for the USA
vs. Japan
women's soccer match. They are told to sit directly in front of the TV cameras
at any given arena and to cheer for China ... so I've been told. I was
shooting this when I came upon the scalper getting arrested in the previous
post.

The last photo is of a poor man waiting outside the fence of Worker's Stadium
asking for recyclable bottles from all of the fans. Something that you don't
see too often here. The government took steps to make sure all of the beggars
and migrant workers were outside the city limits before the games began."